Clive

Clive is a Lake Erie water snake. These snakes are on the “threatened” list. They have only a 25 mile range around Lake Erie and apparently aren't prolific breeders. People in the area mistake these snakes for water moccasins (which are venomous, but have a distinct pattern as opposed to the uniform black/gray of this snake). Unfortunately, people tend to kill first and verify second. Their habitat is also being eroded by human development in the area.

Clive is a female (named by her previous owner, prior to having her sexed), and is a real sweetheart. She's full grown and is about 5 years old in the pictures below. Her scales are heavily keeled and feel rough to the touch (rougher than a rattlesnake even!). She eats just about anything found around a lake, but prefers fish and large bullfrog tadpoles. We put her food items in a glass bowl and she goes “fishing”.

She was the main subject of an Animal Planet episode of “Beverly Hills Vet”. However, the production company apparently had a disagreement with Animal Planet, and this episode (along with others) will probably never be aired.